


paramedic

by acoostic



Series: nano ninjas 2019 [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, medic!Iruka, set in the nebulous time between kakashi leaving anbu and getting team 7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 05:33:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21422989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acoostic/pseuds/acoostic
Summary: Kakashi doesn't like going to the hospital, even when he knows that he should. It's cold, smells like death, and full of people wanting to see his face. He'd honestly rather bleed out in the Hokage's office.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Sarutobi Asuma/Yuuhi Kurenai
Series: nano ninjas 2019 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534298
Comments: 8
Kudos: 246





	paramedic

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: “I’m the paramedic that always cleans up after your fights and hon, some of that is definitely your blood.”

"I didn't get away without a scratch, Sandaime-sama, but I promise they're far worse off than me." _They're all dead_, Kakashi thinks, and Sandaime nods gravely as he takes in Kakashi's report. He twitches as there’s a sudden stab of pain in his side, a reminder of his battle, and Kakashi starts to brainstorm how to avoid going to the hospital.

"Would you _please_ hold still, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi suddenly registers the medic-nin at his side, and wonders how long they've been there. They must have a relatively high clearance if they're in the Hokage's office still after Kakashi came back in through the window to report. Not to mention the fact that Kakashi didn’t even realize they had already started healing him while Kakashi talked. His eyes furrow — Sharingan still exposed, though his nerves have eased since being in the Hokage’s presence — and he realizes he's not sure if he's ever seen this man before. He'd be more shocked that the man knew his name, but Kakashi is pretty sure by this point everyone in Konoha knows his name.

"How does he look, Iruka-kun?" asks Sandaime, and Kakashi wants to argue that he's fine — it's just a scratch — but the medic-nin cuts off this line of thinking.

"It's a deep cut, Hokage-sama, but it is his only injury in need of healing. Most of the blood isn't his." His eyes — Iruka apparently — are focused on Kakashi's side, where his hands are glowing green and slowly stitching Kakashi back together. 

"Good," says Sandaime, a small smile on his face, "I can't have one of my best jounin out of commission."

It feels like being scolded — an implication that maybe Kakashi has been too reckless as of late since being dismissed from ANBU — but he gets the job done. "Of course not, Sandaime-sama."

“There,” says Iruka the medic-nin as he takes his hands away, a satisfied smile on his face. “I would recommend avoiding strenuous activities for the next day or two to let it settle, but after that you’ll be good to go.”

“Thank you, Iruka-san,” mutters Kakashi, still not quite sure what exactly this man’s relation is to the Hokage. Iruka merely smiles warmly up at him before standing up fully, wiping a hand across his brow.

“I think a few days rest will do you some good, Kakashi,” Sandaime comments, a knowing look in his eyes that lets Kakashi know he knew that his next course of action had been to go bother Gai. “You’ve done good, hard work; take some time to relax a little, please.”

Kakashi sighs. “Yes, Sandaime-sama.”

—

It’s a couple months and a failed genin team later that Kakashi finds himself in the hospital after a mission.

“Fancy seeing you here, Kakashi-san,” says a vaguely familiar voice. Kakashi looks up from his hospital bed and is startled when he sees Iruka standing there in typical medic-nin robes. “I’ve heard that you avoid the hospital like the plague. Good to know that even jounin like you know when to give in.”

Kakashi, perhaps still a little adrenaline high from taking out five missing-nin by himself, snorts and mutters, “There are no jounin like me.”

Iruka laughs as his hands start to glow green and he waves them slowly over Kakashi’s body to identify where the injuries are the worst. “Trust me, Kakashi-san, all jounin are like you — arrogant and reluctant to admit they need healing.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m _arrogant_,” grumbles Kakashi, taking his one open eye away from watching Iruka and focusing on the ceiling instead. 

“Maybe not now,” Iruka says, smile on his lips as his hands settle over Kakashi’s left leg first, where he knows a shuriken had become embedded and lingered for most of his dash back to the village. “But Asuma tells me you used to be, back when you first became one.”

“Asuma’s just jealous because I made jounin like six years before he did.”

"I think Asuma was more jealous about how impressed Kurenai was."

Kakashi huffs. Iruka's right, that does sound more likely, for all that both he — and Asuma for that matter — knows that Kakashi has absolutely no interest in Kurenai outside of friendship. This does make Kakashi curious about one thing. "How exactly do you know Asuma, Iruka-san?"

"My parents died during the Kyuubi attack and Hokage-sama took a special interest in me after. For all intents and purposes he adopted me, though I still chose to live on my own. I have a standing invitation to Sunday dinners and family events." Iruka smiles fondly as he finishes up Kakashi's leg and moves on to his side. "Asuma likes to joke that I'm Sandaime's favorite son, but we both know it's not true."

Kakashi has to agree. Sandaime has always had a soft spot for Asuma, even when Asuma was younger and couldn't see it. “I don’t recall him ever mentioning you.”

Iruka snorts then, and Kakashi’s a little shocked how open he’s being with him, when he’s all but a complete stranger. “I’m sure he has, you just might not have been paying attention.”

He grunts, not quite in agreement, but definitely because Kakashi feels the pull of his flesh in his side a little bit more now and it catches him off guard. “Half the time he’s rattling on about Kurenai, so I’ve learned to tune him out when he gets a certain look on his face.” Kakashi probably ignores him a whole bunch of other times as well, but he’s not about to admit he also zones out when Asuma brings up his family.

“I think we _all_ ignore Asuma a little bit when he starts going on about her.”

“They both need to just get over themselves and get married and leave the rest of us alone — literally.”

With a hum and a grin, Iruka continues healing Kakashi in silence. The wounds on his side need a lot of work, but Iruka is patient and only pauses one time to wipe his brow before carrying on. When he’s done with the major healing, he pulls over a bandaging kit and says, “Please sit up, slowly, and remove your shirt, Kakashi-san. I need to bandage the rest.”

Kakashi hesitates, glancing between Iruka, the curtain half pulled around his bed, and the rest of the room where there are a few other shinobi laying in beds in various states of healing. His eye lands back on Iruka and he says, “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that at this point in our relationship, Iruka-san.”

For a moment, there’s a light blush on Iruka’s cheeks, before he takes in the room around him and Kakashi’s own face. He rolls his eyes then. “All jounin are just overgrow difficult children, I swear to the gods.” Iruka stands up, draws the curtain fully around Kakashi’s bed — Kakashi can see the disappointment forming on a few of the other shinobi’s faces — and then tosses a surgical face mask onto Kakashi’s chest. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

He leaves Kakashi’s bedside and passes through the curtain to stand just outside of sight. A little bit of tension Kakashi still had leaves as he’s able to sit up, maybe not as slowly as Iruka would’ve liked, and remove his shirt and mask. He carefully places the temporary face mask over his mouth and nose, and breathes deeply. The mask amplifies the already prevalent hospital smell, and normally Kakashi would find it smothering. In this case, however, he draws comfort from it.

“Ready, Iruka-san.”

“Okay, here I come,” Iruka announces, and Kakashi is ever appreciative of this man’s way of practicing medicine. It shows that he’s truly seen the field since he’s so careful around shinobi recently returned from missions. He slips back between the curtain, only hesitating for a second upon seeing him shirtless. _Interesting_, Kakashi thinks. He gets over it quickly, and resumes his position at Kakashi’s bedside. “Let’s clean these wounds and bandage them so you can go home, Kakashi-san.”

Kakashi raises an eyebrow. “Not going to try and keep me _overnight_, Iruka-san?”

Iruka gives him a stern look, but it’s diminished by the faint red coloring his face. Kakashi grins behind his mask as Iruka pulls out the alcohol swabs and starts dabbing at the various cuts across Kakashi’s chest. “If I thought you would stay here, I’d order it, but if there’s one thing the hospital staff has learned it’s that if Hatake Kakashi can move, he will leave.”

“I think I would consider staying if it was you who ordered me to, Iruka-san.”

“You’re nearly as bad as those books you read, Kakashi-san,” grumbles Iruka, but Kakashi spies the slight upturn of the corners of his mouth.

“Believe me, Iruka-san, I could be much worse.”

That gets a chuckle out of Iruka, who merely shakes his head before applying gauze to the more serious of Kakashi’s cuts. “Asuma was right.”

“Oh? What did he say?”

“That I should be careful around you.” Iruka gives him a look, saying without words that he knows what game Kakashi is playing at, and Kakashi isn’t used to being seen so quickly. “Turn around so I can get your back,” is all Iruka follows up with, and Kakashi obeys silently, tensing only a little at the idea of someone being behind him.

The rest of the patching up process goes like that, Iruka asking Kakashi to move so that he can apply salves and the like, and Kakashi wordlessly doing it. When, a few minutes later, Iruka’s done, he pats Kakashi’s shoulder gently and says, “All done, Kakashi-san. Please do try to keep any training at a minimum if at all; your leg could do with some rest after getting torn up like that. I’m not even going to mention the fact that you’re definitely a severe degree of chakra depleted because I have a feeling you get that practically after every mission you go on.” Iruka sighs, handing Kakashi a clipboard for him to sign that details the conditions for his release. “Just…rest, Kakashi-san. You do so much for Konoha. I think it’ll survive if you stay in bed for two days.”

Kakashi signs the paper and grins when his eye catches the sentence ‘_At least two meals a day — and **no**, reading books as food for the soul does not count_!’ “I’ll do my best, Iruka-san.”

“I’m sure you will,” grumbles Iruka, taking the clipboard back before tidying up all his supplies, used or otherwise. As he’s getting ready to leave, Iruka makes eye contact with Kakashi, and says, “I will be telling Gai-san to avoid any physical challenges with you for the next week; though I’ll tell him it should be absolutely fine to challenge you to a day of meditation.”

“Maa, Iruka-san, you just want to suck the fun out of everything.”

“No, I want you to _heal_.” The expression that crosses Iruka’s face is near devious, and Kakashi finds his heart beating a little faster. “The sucking comes later.”

He’s gone the second the words leave his mouth, and Kakashi is left shirtless and exhausted and possibly a little aroused. He shifts to grab his shirt and and hums to himself. More than possibly, it seems.

“Perhaps Asuma’s warning works both ways,” he mumbles to himself as he puts his shirt and cloth mask back on.

——

“We’ve really got to stop meeting like this, Kakashi-san,” says a voice, out of breath and with a tinge of forced levity to it.

Kakashi barely gets his eyes open to see that it’s Iruka, yet again, hovering over him with his hands glowing green. He only manages to smile softly as he closes his eyes and relaxes now that he knows the medics have arrived. “It’s the only way I know to get your hands on me, Iruka-san.”

From behind Iruka, Kakashi hears another male voice scoff. “Are you even hurt, Kakashi? I can’t believe you’re able to flirt in this state.”

“It’s only a skill you haven’t mastered, Asuma,” murmurs Kakashi, cracking his good eye to see Asuma grinning and standing behind Iruka with a lit cigarette dangling from his lips.

Asuma shakes his head and waves Kakashi off. “How could I forget the genius of Hatake Kakashi? Iruka, I’m going to scout around the area and make sure it’s clear and then I’ll help with getting the wounded back to the village.”

Kakashi feels the faint movement of Iruka’s nod rather than sees it. It takes too much effort to keep his eyes open right now, no matter how much he wants to tease Iruka and see the blush on his face. He knows his stomach and chest are currently bloody messes, and he wishes he’d summoned Pakkun sooner. Maybe he wouldn’t have lost so much blood — maybe his teammate wouldn’t have nearly died herself.

“Don’t worry about Haru-san; Miko-san is seeing to her now. She’s going to be fine, just as you will be.” _How does he do that?_ Kakashi wonders, _Always knowing what’s bothering me_.

“Good,” is all Kakashi can manage. It’s getting harder to string thoughts together. He must’ve been bleeding for longer than he thought. Things got muddled when Kakashi killed the last missing-nin at the same time they struck him.

“Kakashi-san, I need you to stay with me. Try to keep talking if you can. You need to remain conscious until we can get you properly stabilized back at the hospital.”

“Hnn, are you gonna order me to stay overnight this time?”

Iruka lets out a surprised laugh. “If you pass out now, you bet your ass I will. I’ll even make it two nights so that you learn your lesson.”

“My lesson? What are you, my teacher?”

“I did consider being a teacher at the academy before I focused on my medic-nin training.”

“Ah,” Kakashi mutters, and he opens his eyes to catch Iruka’s expression at his next sentence, “Then I’ll do whatever you say, Iruka-sensei.”

The resulting blush is definitely worth the fact that Kakashi passes out almost immediately after.

——

When Kakashi wakes up, he’s predictably in the hospital. Honestly, it’s a relief to wake up at all. It’s dark outside his window, and he faintly wonders if it’s still the same day of his fight or some undetermined time later. A soft snore breaks his thoughts and he looks to his left to see Iruka sleeping in one of the chairs intended for visitors. The sight of Iruka, head lolling to his shoulder and mouth slightly ajar, makes Kakashi smile beneath his mask — it’s one from the hospital, which means someone undoubtedly saw his face and part of Kakashi hopes it was Iruka.

He’s thirsty, but also still incredibly tired. His chest and stomach feel warm, but not from blood. Kakashi can see they’re now wrapped heavily in gauze, but there’s also a seal glowing green over it, keeping everything in stasis while Kakashi sleeps. _I’ll drink when I wake up again_, Kakashi thinks, because now he knows for sure that there will be a next time.

——

It’s daylight the next time Kakashi wakes up. There’s also other people besides Iruka by his bed, so he pretends to still be asleep as his brain catches up and is able to comprehend what they’re saying.

“It’s cute how devoted you are, Iruka; how can you be so sure he even remotely feels the same? I’ve seen him flirt with most of his medics over the years. I think it’s just habit for him.” 

“I’m not _devoted_, Asuma-nii,” grumbles Iruka, and Kakashi hears him huff before adding under his breath, “It takes one to know one.”

Asuma coughs, and it takes a fair amount of effort for Kakashi to not laugh when Kurenai’s voice adds in, “We just want you to be careful, Iruka-kun.”

“As my friends, or as his?”

“Both,” Kurenai says, her voice soft, but full of warmth. If Kakashi had his eyes open, he’s almost certain of the expression he’d see on her face — knowing, but unwillingly to clue you in on just what it is she knows.

“He’s not the asshole he portrays to be, and he’s got his own demons, Iruka,” continues Asuma, and Kakashi regrets going the pretending to be asleep route suddenly.

“We’ve all got demons, Asuma-nii, some of us even more literally.” Iruka’s tone is stern and steadfast, and briefly Kakashi wonders what exactly his relationship with Minato’s son is. When he speaks again, Iruka’s voice is softer, like a confession, “I just want to make sure he’s okay; I nearly lost him out there.”

The silent ‘_lost him before I had him_’ makes Kakashi’s stomach churn, and not because of any lingering pain medication they might have slipped into his IV. Kakashi can’t stand his act anymore, and lets out a groan, signaling his return to consciousness.

“Kakashi!” He opens his eyes, and Iruka is right there, sitting in the chair on his left where he last saw him sleeping, the biggest smile stretching across his face. Kakashi shifts his gaze and sees Asuma and Kurenai on his other side, beaming smiles on both of their faces. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve gone toe to toe with a hundred wolves, but otherwise, I’m fine.”

“That’s the understatement of the year, my friend, but we’re glad to hear your voice.” Kakashi meets Asuma’s eyes, and he swears the man winks at him. Perhaps he hadn’t been as subtle in his pretend sleep as he thought. “Well, Iruka, we have to go, but I’ll let Sandaime-jii know that Kakashi’s woken up, alright? You stay here and make sure the idiot doesn’t run off.”

“Maa, I wouldn’t do that,” Kakashi says mildly, making even Kurenai raise an eyebrow at him. “Iruka-sensei ordered me to stay in the hospital if I passed out.”

Asuma barks out a laugh as he walks away; Kurenai following him with a hand covering her mouth to hide her grin. Iruka sits, stock still in his chair, a bright blush coloring his face. _Perfect_.

It takes a moment for Iruka to snap out of it, and Kakashi is more than willing to give him the time — it still kinda hurts to talk, let alone move. When he finally shakes his head, Iruka smiles softly at Kakashi and leans closer to him. “You scared me when you fell unconscious out there, Kakashi-san.”

“I scared myself.” Kakashi glances around to find try and find some clue to what day it is. “How long have I been in here?”

“Only a few days. It took two others to help me stabilize you once we got you back to the village. We’ve just been playing the waiting game of when you’ll wake out of the stasis we put you in.” Iruka’s eyes fall to Kakashi’s chest where the seal lingers, though it seems to be gradually fading now that Kakashi has been awake for more than a minute.

“And have you been here since I got here?”

Iruka doesn’t look away from his chest, but his cheeks flush a bit. “I work here, of course I’ve been here.”

“Yes, Iruka-sensei, but when was the last time you didn’t sleep in that chair?”

“How did — ?”

“I woke up one night for a brief moment and saw you sleeping. You snored. It was cute.” Kakashi smiles, hoping that temporarily closing both eyes will help carry that across. “Besides even if I hadn’t, you look rumpled, Iruka-sensei, and not in the fun way. You should’ve gone home. There are plenty of medics around to check on me.”

He shrugs, still avoiding Kakashi’s eyes. “I needed to see you awake for myself. Plus I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”

“Sweet of you, but I’m used to waking up alone.”

“I know,” says Iruka, determination inching onto his face as he meets Kakashi’s gaze. “I didn’t want you to have to be alone this time.”

Kakashi stalls for a moment before he relaxes, grateful that his small, happy smile is covered. “Ah, Iruka-sensei, you could’ve just asked me out on a date if you wanted to wake up next to me.”

“How could I be sure you’d still be there in the morning if I didn’t court you first?” asks Iruka, a grin emerging on his face.

That makes Kakashi wheeze laugh — his lungs had apparently taken more damage that he’d thought — and Iruka instantly is standing, with his hands out, ready to heal should anything other than air leave his mouth. “Is that what we were doing? Courting each other?”

“That’s what Asuma calls it, but Kurenai likes to say that we’re just _dancing_.”

“Ever eloquent, Kurenai.” He takes a moment to shift himself up, very slowly, so that he’s sitting up and able to face Iruka more directly. Iruka wordlessly helps him, moving the pillows so they’re propping him up better. Kakashi watches Iruka for a moment, the way he carefully helps Kakashi, but plops back down into his chosen chair like the weight of the world is crushing him. He breathes as deeply as he can, and then softly asks, “Would you like to, maybe, do more than dance?”

“Like what?” counters Iruka, his expression wary, but ever hopeful.

“I’ve got a feeling that the Hokage is going to tell me that I’m not allowed to train for quite a while, so that rules out my more active hobbies, but I have it on good authority that I need to eat at least two meals a day. It’d be a shame if I had to do it alone.”

Iruka chuckles, head ducking down for a minute. “I didn’t think you’d actually read that, let alone remember it.”

“What can I say, sensei? You’ve made an impression on me.” He gestures around to the hospital room with his hand, though it’s difficult when he can’t find the strength to raise it higher than his side.

“I’m glad I got through to you then,” Iruka says, smile lighting up his whole face and Kakashi can’t help but marvel at how he put it there. “The real problem is going to be, I don’t think you’ll be well enough to get out of bed for another couple days.”

“Maa, Iruka-sensei, you say that like we can’t get takeout and eat it together right here.”

“I’d probably see your face,” Iruka warns, “You can’t move at the lightning speeds I’ve heard people say you normally eat at in public.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m pretty sure you’ve already seen my face, isn’t it?”

Iruka blushes, scratching his scarred nose. “I made sure no one else saw when I switched them.”

Kakashi believes him, if only because why else would someone bother putting a mask on him at all. “Thank you, sensei, but just goes to show, I can trust you to keep everyone out while we have a nice meal here. I can take my time, and you get to make sure nothing disagrees with me while I’m healing.”

“I do know of a good ramen place that is nearby.” Iruka looks at the clock that is over Kakashi’s head, and therefore worthless to him. He winces when he sees what the time is, which adds another question to Kakashi’s list. “I have to go check in on someone else, but then I can be back.”

“With ramen?”

He laughs, like he’s hearing a joke he’s heard several times but it still kinda gets him. “With ramen.”

Iruka stands up, hand brushing over Kakashi’s left hand briefly. Kakashi watches as he makes his way around the chair and towards the door. Right before he shuts the door behind him, Kakashi calls out, “This someone else better not be another patient.”

“Jealous, are we?” Iruka grins, hand pausing on the door’s handle. “Don’t worry, Kakashi-san; I promise I’m not cheating on you with another reckless jounin. I just need to go check in with my little brother.” He chuckles as he shuts the door, leaving Kakashi to deal with the aftermath of seeing that mischievous look on his face.

“Little brother, huh?” Kakashi closes his eyes, knowing that even if he tries to stay awake he will inevitably fall asleep again before Iruka returns. “You just keep getting more interesting, Iruka.”

As he starts to drift off, Kakashi realizes he never did get a drink of water. _Oh well_, he thinks as the dulled sounds of the village outside his window soothe him, _I’ll definitely ask him when he gets back._

**Author's Note:**

> obviously naruto is iruka's "little brother" that he adopted when it became clear to iruka that he was the only one willing to treat the poor orphan whenever he was brought into the hospital after getting into a fight at school or when he'd pass out at the academy from being sick but tried to go to school anyway. (hiruzen may or may not have expedited the paperwork.)
> 
> also don't take a shot every time there's background asuma/kurenai in my fics cuz you'll die and i'm not sorry


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